Bryant reportedly let the Steelers know he was interested in being traded last week but I’m not sure Pittsburgh gets better dealing him and it’s hard to say really what his trade value is. Remember, Bryant sat out the entire 2016 season on suspension for drug use and that alone is going to make it really difficult for the Steelers to fetch much in return in my opinion. When a player gets to the point that he gets suspended for the entire season, that’s a major red flag. It would be one thing to sign a second-chance guy off the street and see if he could keep it clean and help the team out. It’s an entirely different thing to risk a draft pick, something the Bears don’t have enough of right now, in hopes the guy will work out. Physically, Bryant is a complete freak and would be a great fit in any offense. He obviously doesn’t feel like he’s getting the ball enough and the third option for the Steelers (after Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell) is probably going to feel that way. Barring something else happening in the next two weeks, I tend to doubt Pittsburgh trades Bryant because doing so isn’t going to make the Steelers better this season. Would the Bears really want to roll the dice on a guy with known baggage (think suitcases that do not fit in overhead bin space) to help their rookie quarterback? What happens when that guy then makes waves in your locker room? As I’ve said, I don’t believe there is a quick fix to the Bears’ issues at wide receiver. Not this season.

Can the Bears start negotiations with Kyle Fuller during the season? A team can never have too many corners. Would he be restricted at all? — @roybal5598

The Bears could sign Fuller to an extension at any point as he’s completed the first three years of his rookie contract. Remember, they signed fellow former first-round pick Kyle Long to an extension before the start of his fourth season and Fuller is in Year 4. He played very well in Sunday’s win over the Ravens and that might have been his best game since his rookie season. Fuller also played well earlier in the season against the Steelers. I don’t think he had a very good game at Lambeau Field but Aaron Rodgers can have that effect on a lot of defensive backs. I certainly wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Bears looking into the possibility of bringing Fuller back. But I also would suggest you not get caught up in the sudden push via social media that the Bears need to rush to get this done. You’ve got to keep in mind that a decision on extending Fuller will be based on the totality of his NFL career, not the last game or the last six games. Yes, you weight what the player has done most recently but everything factors into a decision like that, including an impressive rookie season, a step back in Year 2 and a yet to be completely explained lost Year 3. Fuller has started the season well and is making a major rebound. There’s no question about that. He’s putting together quality tape that will help him in free agency and reality is he might be best off playing out the season and waiting to see what he can get on the open market. Why rush to sign a deal if you’re Fuller? He’s got 10 games remaining before a shot at the open market. It could also be a case where the Bears realize Fuller will need to see what kind of market is out there for himself before they work to bring him back. Sometimes teams are best letting the market set the price for the player. One more thing to keep in mind: The Ravens cornerbacks also looked like superstars on Sunday when the Bears basically didn’t throw the ball outside the numbers at all. Baltimore wide receivers are not good and a former first-round pick should have a good day against the Ravens.

Photos of quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who the Bears selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft.

Is Mitch Trubisky going to throw more than 16 passes next week? — @brian_abettera

I think that is a safe bet, yes. But the bottom line for the Bears coaching staff is trying to win each and every game and if the offense can pound the ball on the ground, rest the defense and shorten the game, they’re going to keep going at it that way.

What's the story with Adam Shaheen? Aren’t second-rounders expected to produce? — @yessmiss

Second-round draft picks that are going to be stars are generally going to produce in Year 1. This is has been a question several folks have posed over the last couple weeks and it is a fair one. Shaheen did get a season-high 19 snaps in the victory over the Ravens. He wasn’t real involved in the passing game but they didn’t throw it a whole lot. He’s being used as a Y tight end, the same position veteran Dion Sims plays. I would agree a lot of people envisioned him being more involved in the passing game from the outset. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said there has been some stuff that has been designed to go to Shaheen that hasn’t materialized during the games for a variety of reasons. I imagine we will see Shaheen get fed a little more and more as the season goes on. You’re not wrong to be wondering what’s going on.

“We have a lot of faith in Adam as a player,” Loggains said Wednesday. “We’re going to continue to increase his role, we do have faith in him. Some of those are things in the plan that you get to, and you think the game — we’ve carried 104 passes into the game and we call 17, and some of those things are designed for Adam. You just never get to them because we’re averaging 4.6 (yards) a carry or whatever it was and we’re running the football a lot. So a lot of it, I don’t know if we target anyone outside Tarik a lot. Kendall (Wright) had two catches and he’s our most productive receiver. So it’s just going around who’s in at the time and how the game’s playing out. But Adam is a good player and a good tight end. I don’t think his statistics speak to what talent he is.”

Health. That’s the single biggest explanation for what he’s accomplished on the field to this point, starting all six games. Coach John Fox also credited Fuller with being well prepared too, saying he’s done a lot of film study on each opponent so he knows what to expect from the players he’s facing every Sunday. It’s definitely been a bright spot for a position that had a lot of questions entering training camp.

Do you think the Bears try and get Cairo Santos when he is healthy? — @HultmanMatt

I’ve gotten a couple questions about Santos since he was let go by the Chiefs. Santos suffered a groin injury during training camp. It healed up and then he suffered another groin injury during the season and Kansas City pulled the plug on him. Santos posted a workout video on Twitter earlier this week and it’s certainly possible teams will kick the tires on him before the season ends. But there’s got to be some level of concern that he could aggravate the injury again and a core muscle injury for a kicker is really bad news. When he’s fully healthy, Santos will certainly generate interest. I couldn’t speculate when that will be. I also believe the Bears have more pressing roster issues than kicker.

Why would the Bears' most reliable receiver, Kendall Wright, get considerably less snaps than both Tanner Gentry and Tre McBride? — @23kew92n

That’s a good question and it’s something that offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains addressed on Wednesday. Wright was on the field for 25 of the team’s 80 offensive snaps in Baltimore while Gentry got 76 and McBride had 58. The short answer is Wright is far better in the slot than he is on the outside.

“It’s by design,” Loggains said. “Kendall’s been part of the passing game, even when we throw 17 passes. But Kendall has always been a guy who we were fortunate to be around him in Tennessee when he had multiple 80-catch years. An 80-catch year, a 95-catch year. But he’s a guy in my opinion who’s better when he doesn’t play 75 snaps, when he gets to play in that 25-35 range and he’s fresh and can bring the energy and juice like he did the last third down.”

I’d imagine the Bears would like to get Wright closer to 35 than 25 and I bet quarterback Mitch Trubisky would like that too.

Mitch Trubisky seems a bit awkward speaking at the podium, like someone who lacks confidence in their own thoughts. I am just wondering if he is different around his teammates and in the huddle. Should we be concerned? — Doug E., Hawthorn Woods, Ill.

I’m really going to have to disagree with you on this one, Doug. In fact, I’ve got a completely opposite read on this. I’ve been around a lot of players at Halas Hall in 17 seasons and Trubisky is very poised, engaging and looks pretty comfortable in that setting and extremely comfortable when you consider he is a rookie. I think he strikes a nice balance of confidence and humility and handles himself really well. I traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C., to see him play a game last fall and spoke to him 1-on-1 after the game and came away with the conclusion that he was comfortable talking about his game, his teammates and the action on the field. I think he’s improved since then. He’s not spewing a lot of clichés which is what some guys can do when they’re a little nervous. I think he’s pretty genuine at the podium and instead of being concerned, I’d feel like the Bears have a player that can handle that aspect of the job.

Photos of Bears running back Jordan Howard.

Do you think Adrian Amos has found his niche at strong safety? He seems to be around the ball a lot more and aggressive on stopping the run. — @Matt22880192

Amos had a really nice game on Sunday in Baltimore and he sure looked like a natural with the ball in his hands on the interception return. But I don’t know that one game changes the storyline when it comes to Amos. When Quintin Demps returns, and I believe the plan is to get Demps back off injured reserve before the end of the season, I would imagine the veteran returns to his starting role. Amos was satisfactory against the run the last two seasons. He was just never around the ball when it was in the air. He got a deflected pass and made the most of it. Let’s not jump to conclusions here. We need a broader sample size to consider whether or not he’s turned the corner as a player. I’m not saying that isn’t possible but it hasn’t happened yet.

Tanner Gentry was invisible last week. Is this because he is having trouble getting separation or run heavy game plan limiting opportunity? — @MasonMDubbsWest

Yes. The Ravens used a lot of press coverage and Gentry and McBride both had difficulty getting open. The run-heavy plan also limited his opportunities as quarterback Mitch Trubisky targeted Gentry only one time. It will be interesting to see if the Panthers and future opponents try a similar approach. At some point, the Bears will have to start winning routes at the line of scrimmage to have a chance with the passing game.

I’ve been impressed with Trubisky for the most part. But his completion percentage has resulted in his YPA to below that of Glennon (which was worst in the league). Stringing together a few easy ones or long handoffs as they’re called, can go a long way toward giving the offense a bit of balance as well as work on the development of the passing game. Throwing on 3rd and long, roll outs, broken pocket plays, etc. all factor in. But where are the slants, check downs, designed throws to the backs, hitches, etc.? Has the playbook changed that much? Did Loggains take out some check down options or plays with an easy check down? It’s contrary to most packages for rookies. — Jesse G., San Diego

We’re two games in to the Trubisky era. He’s attempted 41 passes and if he hits one deep ball and then a medium-range shot, say 25 yards, that’s going to dramatically change his statistics. Right now the yards per attempt of 5.88 yards looks rough. You talk about short passes or long handoffs and in some cases those are to backs. I think they’ve targeted Tarik Cohen a fair amount. Jordan Howard’s hands continue to be an issue. The Bears wanted to hit more of those easy throws across the middle in Baltimore but felt like the Ravens were really working to take that away. No, the playbook hasn’t changed but what they emphasize in the playbook is going to be different than what it was with Mike Glennon and it’s going to be tailored on a weekly basis to the opponent and what the Bears feel they can succeed with.

What was the last team to allow 2 return touchdowns in a game before the Bears did Sunday? What about doing that and still winning? — @j_c_b__

The last time a team surrendered a kickoff return for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown in the same game was Dec. 8, 2013 when the Eagles were victimized by the Lions in a game at Lincoln Financial Field. Detroit’s Jeremy Ross had a 58-yard punt return for a score and ran back a kickoff 98 yards to the end zone. The Eagles won the game 38-20, however, as Philadelphia rolled up 299 yards rushing. I included some statistics on this in my 10 Thoughts column after the game. Teams that allow the double whammy on special teams – kickoff and punt return touchdowns – are 6-21 dating back to 1940. Those are what we call long odds.

Tribune reporters Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer discuss cornerback Kyle Fuller's game against the Ravens and his improved play this season.

Tribune reporters Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer discuss cornerback Kyle Fuller's game against the Ravens and his improved play this season.

I agree with you that Jordan Howard has likely learned that he needs to go down in-bounds in the next situation like the fourth quarter Sunday. But why did the Bears call a run there at all? The goal was obvious to take the time down to zero, so why not have the QB take a knee? I suppose Howard could have broken off a huge run but that seems unlikely (the fact he had one in overtime does not make it any more likely it would happen in regulation) and there was just as much risk of a fumble as a big run. — Mike S., Parts Unknown

Howard was pushed out of bounds at the Bears’ 23-yard line by Ravens defensive back Lardarius Webb after an 8-yard gain on third-and-20. When Howard went out of bounds there were 23 seconds remaining on the clock, forcing the Bears to punt just after Baltimore had tied the game with a punt return touchdown. You make a valid point that the Bears could have run out the clock and gone to overtime at that point. That doesn’t excuse Howard’s lack of awareness in that situation. He’s got to know where the sideline is and get down before going out.

I agree with your assertion that Ryan Pace will double-dip at the wide receiver position in the offseason to bolster Mitch Trubisky's development but will his philosophy change regarding free agency? The short-term “prove it” approach hasn't borne much fruit. With no current eligible college wide receiver looking like a Calvin Johnson/Julio Jones-type first round lock, will Pace pull the trigger on a huge contract for Davante Adams or Sammy Watkins? Or will he continue to try to catch lightning in a bottle with guys like Donte Moncrief or Quincy Enunwa? — David D., Rogers Park

The Bears have taken some big cuts in free agency and come up a little short. Don’t forget they made some very large offers in an effort to entice a couple of cornerbacks in Stephon Gilmore and Janoris Jenkins the last two years. It’s a little early to have a great feel on the draft class and the receivers but that was the initial read I got from scouts I spoke to, that there wasn’t a slam dunk playmaker. But let’s be real. How often does Megatron or Julio Jones come along in the draft? Every four, maybe five years you see a freakish talent like those guys. My hunch right now is the Bears go big at wide receiver in free agency and look to sign one of the two or three biggest names available. It’s way too early to speculate who that will be because a lot of these top names that are being thrown around right now will probably wind up re-signing with their current club. OK, maybe not a lot but you can sure bet that some of the names will be erased before March shopping season arrives. I think the Bears have to adopt the position that any player currently on the roster at the position is a big maybe for next season. They’re going to need to completely overhaul the position.

You have cautioned fans a few times about getting too excited about Tanner Gentry because he was passed over on waivers by 31 teams and back on the practice squad. It is entirely understandable why no other team is raiding the Bears practice squad for receivers, but shouldn't the Bears be raiding receiver-rich teams for theirs? Which teams should they look at? Which receivers? Also, what makes a player eligible and ineligible for practice squads? — Damian W., Parts Unknown

That’s a fair question and a good point. A lot of times clubs will work to pry players away from the practice squads of other teams and end up being rebuffed. Reality is there probably aren’t any guys that can come in and be major contributors for the Bears. How many practice squad players from the Bears the last few years can you recall stepping in and really being significant players and consistent players and I’m talking about at any position? There are two types of practice squad players. Standard practice squad players cannot have more than two accrued seasons of NFL experience. An accrued season is defined as having six or more games on a 53-man roster or the injured reserve in a single year. Each team gets four veteran exceptions for their practice squad and that means players with more than two accrued seasons. So players from the 2015, 2016 and 2017 draft classes are eligible. Also, players cannot be on a practice squad for more than three seasons.

Why are the Bears using Adam Shaheen as an in-line blocker and not sending him up the seam on more routes? This guy was a pass catching tight end in collage and already is a great friend of Mitch Trubisky and they've established chemistry. Why not play to his strengths and unleash this kid when there is such a lack of talent around? — Eric D., Parts Unknown

Yes, Shaheen caught a lot of passes in college but let’s remember he was playing at Division II Ashland going against defensive backs and linebackers with little to no shot at even cracking a training camp roster in the NFL. The defensive players Shaheen went against on a regular basis were undersized and slow. The guys he’s facing now are the best in the world at playing football. It’s not as simple as saying, “Hey Adam, run downfield and let Mitch chuck it up for you.” I think Shaheen will get more involved in the passing game but there’s a big learning curve in play here and also tight end is a difficult position for rookies to learn. Remember when Greg Olsen was a first-round draft pick from a big-time program like Miami? He didn’t exactly light it up as a rookie. Shaheen has good speed for his size but he doesn’t have the quickness and lateral movement that make him a big threat against say a safety in coverage.

Photos from the Bears-Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017.

You’re making an apples to oranges comparison. Bellamy is on the roster because of his ability on special teams. He’s one of the better teams players for the Bears, and his role is even greater now with cornerback Sherrick McManis expected to miss the next couple weeks with a hamstring injury. Thompson wasn’t giving the Bears a real edge on kickoff returns and was marginal as a receiver. Bellamy’s role on offense has been reduced.

Is something wrong with Kyle Long? It appeared to me his performance this weekend was lackluster. — @kkleitsch21

You do recall Long suffered a major injury last November, right? I don’t think he’s 100 percent and he came out of the game Sunday in Baltimore for three snaps and had his right ankle re-taped on the sideline. That might be a bit of an issue for him for the remainder of the season. He looked pretty good on the Jordan Howard run in overtime though, with enough mobility to make a backside cut-off block. I thought Long was pretty good against the Ravens, all things considered.

How big is Dowell Loggains’ bag of trick plays? — @Bubba__Higgins

It’s going to be fun to find out the answer to that question, isn’t it? We’ve seen the running back throw the ball. We’ve seen the punter throw the ball. About time to see a wide receiver throw the ball, right? It’s a shame Cameron Meredith is out for the season because as a former quarterback at Illinois State, I bet he can spin it pretty good on a razzle dazzle play. However, I submit it will be a long time before the Bears have a wide receiver with an arm like former Pro Bowl receiver Marty Booker. I’m telling you Booker could throw the ball 75 yards in the air. Booker was 3 for 10 passing for 126 yards in his career and threw touchdown passes for the Bears in 2001 and 2002.

With Aaron Rodgers out, do you think it's possible for the Bears to get into a division race with Minnesota and Detroit? — @BarberSquires

In a perfect world, you would like to think the Bears can be a factor in the NFC North race but it’s premature to go there, in my opinion. I say that because this team is yet to show it can win on a consistent basis. They had a nice victory at home against the Steelers and then went to Green Bay the next week and got shellacked. They played well in the opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Falcons, well enough to win, and went to Tampa Bay the next week and got their doors blown off. The Bears have won in consecutive weeks under coach John Fox twice, both times in the 2015 season when they beat the Raiders in Week 4 and Chiefs in Week 5 and then when they beat the Chargers in Week 9 and the Rams in Week 10. At 2-4, the Bears are two games behind the Vikings and Packers in the NFC North and they’ve lost head up to both teams. There is a lot of football remaining but that puts the Bears in a position where they need to start stacking some victories and they absolutely have to start winning division games. The Packers really struggled without Aaron Rodgers when he was injured in 2013, going 2-4-1 before he returned in Week 17 to beat the Bears at Soldier Field with the winner claiming the division and a playoff bid. The backup quarterback situation was messy at that point and there is a chance the Packers are a little better equipped to handle the loss of Rodgers this time with Brett Hundley, who is in his third season. Green Bay rests Rodgers a lot in preseason so Hundley got some quality work in August. We’ll see if he’s a little more sharp this week after preparing as the starter in practice. I’m not saying the Bears are hopeless here but until they can string some victories together, I think it’s fanciful thinking more than anything else.

I know that plenty of Bears fans have wondered how Ryan Pace could have been so wrong about Mike Glennon but I think he's had a much bigger issue personnel-wise since arriving in Chicago. That issue would be identifying suitable, reliable, credible pass catchers for the QB to throw to. Eddie Royal? Bust. Kevin White? Enormous bust. Markus Wheaton? Doesn't even belong in the league. Not to mention he inherited the greatest WR combo in the franchise's 90-plus year history and eventually got rid of both of these scarce difference-makers on offense. So keeping in mind all that, even if Trubisky turns out to be a hit, how can any Bears fan reasonably expect our GM to provide his young quarterback with any good targets to throw to that will make his career flourish? — John H., Gary, Ind.

I don’t think that is a fair take on Wheaton. He’s been a quality third receiver for the Steelers when healthy. He’s certainly elevated a little higher than most would like here but that’s not an issue while he’s out with his groin muscle injury. You make some valid points. The signing of Royal did not pan out for the Bears. It looks like Kendall Wright can be a decent slot receiver. General manager Ryan Pace is going to be challenged to get some playmakers for Trubisky this offseason. That’s a secret to positively no one. Hopefully, Mitch Trubisky flashes some real promise throughout the remainder of the year and the Bears can use that as a selling point with potential free agents – along with large stacks of cash.

The Tribune's Bears writers make their game-by-game predictions for the 2017 season.

(Brad Biggs, Rich Campbell, Dan Wiederer, David Haugh)

The Bears’ punt play that resulted in a Ravens’ return near the end of regulation would have been the perfect situation to kick the ball out of bounds. The Bears’ defense had been winning the battle all day and time was winding down. Trust the defense, and put them in the best position to stop the Ravens for the win. When the Ravens pulled their defenders in to the line, and the Bears matched the move, that was another reason to kick out of bounds. What has happened to the strategy of the coffin corner punt in the NFL? I just don’t see it used that much in games anymore. I remember a former Bears punter, Bob Parsons, who was really good at putting the ball out of bounds inside the 10. — Garry V., Avon, Ind.

I don’t think directional punting is necessarily the strength of punter Pat O’Donnell. He does do a nice job with the flip-flop punt or rugby-style kick. The problem with aiming for the sideline on the play you are referring to is the Bears were punting from their own 24-yard line. Angling a kick for the sideline when you’re backed up in your own end can lead to disastrous results. If the punter mishits the kick just a little, it could be really short. I think the bigger issue here was O’Donnell blasted the ball 53 yards and that kind of distance made it difficult for the coverage team, which had been pulled inside with the Ravens showing block, to do its job. A little shorter kick with greater hang time – I had this kick at 4.68 seconds – probably would have been easier to cover. As it is, the coverage unit was terrible on this play. It was a combination of multiple failures.

At what point will the coaching staff open up the offense to let Mitch Trubisky learn from his mistakes, and at the same time, see what he can really do? — @dartnut88

Like I said to another question about Trubisky above, it’s been two games. I think Trubisky is learning from his mistakes as he goes. He forced a ball for an interception that helped the Vikings win the week before. We didn’t see a similar mistake in this game. Let’s give this kid some time to play. It’s a marathon. Don’t treat it like a 40-yard dash.

Why is Tarik Cohen completely irrelevant? The guy in space is so dynamic. He showed it in the first two weeks and since then they completely abandoned him. — @Mike_Juice_

I’m going to recommend you take a closer look at what you’re mixing with your juice when watching the games, Mike. Cohen had 14 carries in the win at Baltimore while Jordan Howard rushed for a career-high 167 yards. Add in a touchdown pass for Cohen, one reception (he was targeted three times), two punt returns and three kickoff returns and he touched the ball 21 times. I think a little of what has happened is Cohen has had some really explosive runs and he’s got in a rut where he’s trying to hit a home run every time he touches the ball. It’s OK to have singles and doubles. They help too. Four of Cohen’s 14 carries went for negative yardage, including losses of 6 yards and 7 yards on consecutive carries in the first quarter. Two other carries went for no gain and he lost a fumble on one of those when he was stripped by Ravens safety Eric Weddle. So only eight of Cohen’s 14 carries resulted in positive yardage. He’s going to need to start hitting the hole more even when it looks like there might not be a lot of daylight. Opponents have seen enough of Cohen on film now to realize they’ve got to be very disciplined on the back side and that’s going to reduce, not eliminate, the chances for him to turn a busted play into a huge gain. He’s going to have to stop dancing so much in the backfield and wait to get to the second level to do some of that. He’s a really valuable addition that puts stress on the defense when he’s on the field but sometimes you have to take what you’re given and you can’t swing for the fences every time. I don’t believe 21 touches in a game makes Cohen irrelevant.

How is Josh Sitton performing? With Whitehair's snapping difficulties, any sense that the best O-line combo is Leno-Whitehair-Grasu-Long-Massie? — @Terrence_J_Naus

I thought Sitton was really impressive in the victory over the Ravens. He might not be the same lineman he was earlier in his career with the Packers, but he was very effective against Baltimore and had a strong game and Sitton to Grasu is a major downgrade. Yes, Whitehair has experienced some poor shotgun snaps and that needs to be ironed out. No one is disputing that. But Grasu isn’t a viable long-term answer for the line in my opinion. I think one of the reasons the Bears got into this situation with Whitehair is they started moving him around during training camp. Why not let the guy stay at center and really settle in and focus on one thing?